The Adventures Of Natalie And Alfred Pt 1
by LittleMissSaraJayne
Summary: The stories of the harry potter series told from Original Characters Natalie Adler and Alfred Bellsley. Canon Characters will make appearances in the story. Pairings are a secret! Story is way better than this summary. Leave Reviews for they are Love.
1. Chapter 1: An Owl On The Mailbox

_Disclaimer: I own no canon characters, spells, places, plotlines or creatures from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe. No copyright infringement intended, just using these amazing characters for my little fanfic joyness. Also I own no excerpts from Louisa May Alcott's wonderful book Little Women. I'm just using excerpts because it's Natalie's favorite. The only characters that are my own are Alfred Bellsley and Natalie Adler, I own all rights to them and will be using them exclusively in my own little stories. Thank you!_

_**Chapter One**_

_**An Owl on The Mailbox**_

_ Jo was the first to wake on Christmas morning. __No stockings hung at the fireplace, and for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago, when her little sock fell down because it was crammed so full of goodies. Then she remembered her mother's promise and, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered book. She knew it very well, for it was that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived, and Jo felt that it was a true guidebook for any pilgrim going on a long journey. _

Natalie was reading Little Women for the fourth time that very week. She smiled and her eyes scanned the familiar, wholesome little story as she relaxed on the hammock on the front porch. She pulled her oversized fuzzy black sweater down over her knees as she huddled under her blankets, flipping the page and continuing her read. The Adler family had been living at 1313 Forget Me Not Lane in Great Tree, Cornwall for about a month or so now and she was still getting used to the blisteringly cold winds of Southern England, it was a particularly cold and rainy summer that year according to the news. Her unruly dark hair whipped in the breeze and she tucked it behind her ear, shivering as she tried to burrow further in the warm fleece.

Her mother peered out of the thick golden curtains that hung in the living room, watching her daughter enjoying the lazy Saturday. Most children would be indoors watching television or playing video games or perhaps enjoying the weekend with their friends. Not Natalie. She was at home, in the safe little hammock, reading a wholesome classic book on the porch of a safe little house in a safe little neighborhood where nothing ever happened and all was quiet on the gray and drab little lane. Moira Adler turned around to the warm living room, the soft glow of the fireplace making it cozy and inviting. Her husband sat in a faded brown overstuffed armchair reading her editorial in the Great Tree Gazette, nodding thoughtfully as his large round glasses slid down his long thin nose.

"I'm worried," she said softly, sitting in the red floral chair opposite John. He looked up and furrowed his brow, concern in his bright green eyes, his blonde curls glowing almost angelically in the firelight. His long and thin face was serious but kind, his skin pale and dotted with freckles. He was not a shabbily dressed man but his clothes were always chronically wrinkled and flyaway, clinging to his long, skinny beanpole body. A wrinkled blue button down under a brown sweater vest, khaki pants, black socks and brown shoes were his ensemble for that particular day. He folded the paper in his lap and rested his chin on his hand thoughtfully, using the arm of the chair to prop up his elbow. His other hand fumbled with his old tarnished brass pocket watch and he flicked the lid open and shut. His wife continued to speak as she took her knitting back up, her hands flying quickly and precisely.

"I worry that Natalie isn't liking her new school. We haven't seen one friend come around, she never calls anyone, she never asks to go anywhere. John she's an eleven year old girl. This isn't normal. Her room is clean, her grades are good. She hasn't hit her rebellious phase at all! I was reading 'Raising your Spirited Child' again earlier and she's not difficult at all! She's polite! She's well behaved! She says please and thank you! She rinses her dishes! She folds her laundry! Where have we gone wrong? Have we stunted her development? Perhaps moving her out of Kentucky was a mistake, she seemed to really like Fairmeade. She was born there, all her ... well that one friend of hers was there." Moira's dark curly hair was slipping out of her messy bun and fell into her deep brown eyes. She wrinkled the pale skin of her button nose and her full lips were pulled into a frustrated pout. She continued to knit furiously as John chuckled and pulled the paper back up over his face.

"Moira, you're worried because our daughter isn't out troublemaking? What does Dr. Kurcinka say in that book of yours anyhow? Is this the age where she's supposed to be hanging out on street corners with seedy guttersnipe children in hooded sweatshirts, smoking and gambling illegally in alleyways? Don't worry dear, maybe she's sneaking out." He smirked behind the paper as his tiny wife gave an exhasperated sigh, her rounded and short little frame tensed in anger. He was teasing her constantly about those bogus child-rearing books she was always reading, laughing whenever she was convinced that their kind and shy daughter was somehow repressed and not developing like any other normal child.

"Well John, you know how Nattie is. She's always been so quiet, so shy. She doesn't make friends very easily. And I read her little diary while she was at school the other day- Don't make that face at me. It's just I know she doesn't always tell us things and want to make sure she's not being bullied or anything. She's self conscious about speaking in front of other children, she thinks she 'sounds funny' and she doesn't want to be made fun of. I know you love your private practice here, and the pay is good and you're setting your own hours, but I think that Natalie needs to be with other children like her." Moira resisted the urge to cross the room again and peek out the curtains, almost certain that her child had not budged an inch except to turn a page of her book.

"Well Moira, I don't know that there is a place for quiet productive children who are good and listen to their parents. They don't exactly have reform schools for children who have no problems. She'll find kids like her, don't worry. She'll make friends, it just takes her a while to warm up to people. She's a very nice girl, nothing wrong with being a little shy. And we're not moving back to the States, not after we paid so much money to get here and get citizenship and work things out with the lawyers and Immigration. Nat's getting opportunities other kids in podunk Fairmeade never had. She's getting to see the world, get out there and really experience it. I think we're doing right by our kid. You're just reading too much child psychobabble crap." He shook the paper decidedly and turned the page to sports. Moira and John ended the discussion and let it go at that, the only sounds in the room were of their breathing and the clacking of knitting needles.

Natalie was the perfect blend of her mother and father. She was short yet thin, with pale skin, her complexion blotted by tiny little freckles. She had her mother's long wavy dark hair and her father's emerald eyes, her face was round and sweet, her nose button like, her smile kind and small. Her messy pigtails blew in the breeze as the quiet little street continued to go about its business. She looked up and admired their little yard, the lush green grass divided by a beautiful brown stone sidewalk. Her mother had tried to plant azaleas but it was far too cold, instead settling for shrubberies with strange red berries to line the house. Natalie's favorite part of the house however, was the little mailbox that sat outside the white picket fence. It looked like a little birdhouse, painted in the same blue grey shade as the bigger house it stood in front of. Lush green ivy twisted its way around the post and settled along the bottom of the mailbox's little porch. The front of the house could be pulled down to reveal the actual space where mail was put but just like the March's mailbox in Little Women, there was a secret compartment if you flipped open the roof. She liked to hide little trinkets in there such as her second favorite charm bracelet and the tiny blue cloth covered bible she got as a child that was decorated with beautiful satin ribbons and a tiny rosette.

She continued to smile at her surroundings even though the entire scene was blanketed in gray clouds, when something completely unusual happened. Nothing unusual ever happened in Great Tree, and she was amazed and a little frightened when a huge golden owl swooped down and landed on the little birdhouse mailbox. It had something in its beak, what appeared to be a letter. Natalie desperately wanted to go see what it was but she did not want to frighten the beautiful bird away. She slowly arose from the hammock and tiptoed down the steps, her bare feet cold against the sidewalk. Her sparkling green eyes were alight with wonder and surprise. She'd never seen and owl up close and she wished she had not left her camera inside. She wanted to take a picture so badly. "Heeere birdie birdie birdie," she whispered softly, feeling as though it was going to take forever to slowly tiptoe to the edge of the yard. She finally reached her destination five minutes later and was standing face to face with the glorious gilded bird.

A small gasp escaped her lips as the bird blinked and then stared,its huge round eyes penetrated into her own, dropping the letter right into her hands before flying away. She wished she would have had the courage to reach out and pet it but instead she looked around, first left, and then right. No one was out as it was a particularly cold day, all the little curtains in all the little windows drawn, backlit by the warmth of lamps and fires in the homes. She looked down and ran her hands over the smooth, expensive looking cream colored envelope, her eyes tracing the pristine and perfect calligraphy in forest green ink on the front.

_Miss N. Adler_

_Hammock on the Porch_

_1313 Forget Me Not Lane_

_Great Tree_

_Cornwall_

Natalie read the address over and over again. How had the adresser known she had been lying on the hammock that day? She looked at the top left corner, hoping to get an address or a name but there was none. She flipped the letter over and saw the flap perfectly flat against the bottom, sealed securely by a real wax seal like they used in the movies. "Wow, a letter with a seal, not a sticker." It was Natalie's first letter since moving to England, and her first letter at all that ever looked so fancy. She slid her thin index finger under the flap and ran it under the seal, snapping the letter open. She walked back to the hammock and curled up once more, tucking her blankets under her arms, holding the letter pages in her hand and reading intently.

_Hogwarts School_

_of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

* * *

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Adler,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_ Term beings on September 1. We await your answer to be given to a Hogwarts Representative who will be sent to your home on July 31. You and your parents will be escorted to Diagon Alley to receive instruction on school supply shopping and will have an account set up for you at Gringott's Wizard Bank. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress_

She had not even heard her father step outside and tell her that dinner was ready. She continued to read the letter over and over again, stunned into disbelief at the words printed on the page in black and white. Her father gently shook her shoulder and she jumped, startled, sending the hammock into a spin, dumping her on the ground. "Goodness Nat, it's only me," her father's deep voice was gentle and kind as he grabbed his daughter by her elbows and pulled her up. "It's dinnertime, Mom made your favorite. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes." He noticed the distracted look on his daughter's face as she continue to read and re read. "Whatcha got there kiddo? One of your little friends write you a letter?"

Natalie was unsure how to answer, she didn't want to _lie._ But how could she ever tell her father what she had gotten without sounding crazy? "Um, no. A school sent me a letter." That seemed honest. Unfortunately a letter from any school would pique the curiosity of her parents and they would want to read it. Would they think it was a joke? It was only a few days until July 31, what if someone actually showed up to her house? She had to put this off, this discussion of what exactly this letter was about. "Let's talk about it after dinner, I'm starved." She walked inside and folded the pages back into the envelope, heading straight for the kitchen as the scent of home cooked warm food wafted into her nose.

_The end of chapter 1! Please leave a review :D _


	2. Chapter 2: Wizard Child

_Disclaimer: I own no canon characters, spells, places, plotlines or creatures from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe. No copyright infringement intended, just using these amazing characters for my little fanfic joyness. Also I own no excerpts from Louisa May Alcott's wonderful book Little Women. I'm just using excerpts because it's Natalie's favorite. The only characters that are my own are Alfred Bellsley and Natalie Adler, I own all rights to them and will be using them exclusively in my own little stories. Thank you!_

_**Chapter Two**_

_**Wizard Child**_

Natalie had put this off long enough. She had eaten two helpings of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, even agreeing to two helpings of vegetables. She was so full she was miserable but she gulped down the last bite of her mother's famous Peach Cobbler. She sat there, unable to move as her mother finished clearing the last of the plates away, putting them neatly in the dishwasher. Her father sat across from her, his hands folded on the table, smiling curiously as she groaned and leaned back in her chair, ready to go to bed after such a good meal.

"Not yet, sleepyhead," he said gently, and Natalie groaned again for a different reason. She knew where this was going. He would want to hear more about that letter. What on Earth would she tell them? "Moira, Natalie got a letter from a school. Sit down, dear, and let's discuss this." Her mother's head snapped around as she shut the dishwasher door, a surprised but pleased look on her face. Her mind was immediately running over all the private schools for gifted children that she had researched before moving to England. Natalie would have gone there had they been able to afford it, her mother thought perhaps her very intelligent, very wonderful daughter had been given a special scholarship. Moira Adler took her seat next to John and placed one of her tiny hands over his folded large ones, staring at her daughter with a smile.

"Let's see the letter sugarfoot," her father unfolded his hands, using one to hold the hand of his wife and the other to reach across the table, waiting for Natalie to hand him the letter. She gulped and pulled the creamy envelope out of the pocket of her black sweater, her hands sweating and shaking. The first thing they were sure to look at was the strange address on the front. Then they would see the seal when they turned it over to open the flap. Natalie had studied it, remembering the word on the banner under the crest. _Hogwarts._ That name didn't sound familiar at all, in fact it was a strange name for a school, but given the contents of her letter, Natalie surmised that strange things to her might be very commonplace in the world of wizards. Her tiny hand reached out, her entire arm shaking as her father took the letter from her. She quickly hid her hands under the table, not wanting them to think something was terribly wrong.

His eyes scanned the front of the envelope, his brow raising. "Miss N. Adler, Hammock on the Porch, 1313 Forget Me Not Lane, Great Tree, Cornwall." As he read it aloud, she could see the confusion on her parents' faces and her brow begin to sweat. _They're gonna think I'm a freak. They're gonna hate me. They're gonna think it's a prank or that I'm lyin'. And then someone's gonna show up on the 31st._ _How'm I gonna explain that? _She tried to control her shivering as her mind ran over every last catastrophe it could think up. She pictured her kind, benevolent parents throwing her out of the house and yelling at her.

He flipped over the letter and her mother raised from her seat to stand behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder so she could read along. They examined the red wax seal and pulled the flap up, removing the pristine, perfect pages and unfolding them to read. They read in silence, looking at the pages in shock, their eyes darting back and forth between a very nervous looking eleven year old girl and this very strange letter from a school for wizards. _They're going to disown me. They're going to think there was a mixup at the hospital and somewhere in Kentucky their real kid is running around. They're gonna put me in the orphanage._ It was silent for a very long time as their eyes wandered to the bottom of the page and back up to the top, reading the letter a second, a third, and then a fourth time. After what seemed like a century, her father spoke, his calm and still very kind voice breaking the silence.

"Well Natalie. That's something." Their faces relaxed and they both were seated once more, thinking and pondering and puzzling over this very abnormal event. "There's a lot out there in the world I can't explain, and I went to college for nearly a decade to get my PhD. But we've always known you were different kiddo. Your mom and I have things to tell you." Natalie looked up from her shaking hands, a mixture of relief and confusion on her face. What could they possibly have to tell her? Were her mild mannered seemingly normal parents wizards _too_? Her parents rose from the table, hand in hand and walked into the living room, Natalie following behind. They settled into their arm chairs by the fire, and she sat down cross legged on the floor, looking up at them. Her mother cleared her throat.

"When you were a baby, Natalie... I used to come in to your nursery in the middle of the night to check on you. You never cried, never fussed, you were a wonderful infant... but you would wake up in the middle of the night and lay there a while. And one night, I came in there to see if you were sleeping soundly and you were sitting up in your crib... and... and your toys were _floating._ Like levitating. In mid air. And you were clapping your little hands and giggling and just watching these little toys float above you. We've known your entire life that you were somehow different from other kids, ever since that night. We can't explain it, your father and I aren't the least bit gifted in the way you are. We had you looked at by child specialists, we thought you might be psychic, or telekenetic, or something along those lines. Every doctor I took you to is convinced I was seeing things because I was a very tired, very overworked new mother. But... now we know. Now we have a name for the kind of special you are. You're a wizard, Natalie. That's why I've been reading every child psychology book known to man, why I've been so worried about you developing into a normal child. I never knew what to call your gifts, and I was looking for answers. We think it's great you got accepted to this school Nattie, it will do you some good to be with other kids like you."

She looked at her mother, who looked so relieved, and her father who was beaming with happiness. They weren't going to throw her out. They didn't think she was a freak. They had known all along, even when she hadn't. She finally knew why she had never fit in in Fairmeade, why the children at school never quite got comfortable around her, why they all thought she was so weird. She wasn't like them, she _was_ different, and she _was_ a little weird. But that seemed to be alright. Her family loved her no matter what. Her dad chuckled and pulled the paper back out, flipping to the Global News section. "Well I guess you can sell those useless books, Moira. You ought to fetch quite a pretty penny for that huge collection. Shop it around to the Neurotic Mother's Club." She shot him a dirty look before breaking out into a grin, playfully and softly smacking his arm before picking her knitting back up. Her father then put down the paper, remembering something and pulling the letter back out of his pocket.

"Well, time to look at this school supply list. Hopefully the representative knows where to get all this crap because I haven't the slightest clue. Let's see what we got here... Uniform. Sounds fancy. Three sets of plain work robes (black). One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear," her father chuckled, remembering what his daughter looked like the year she dressed up as a witch for Halloween.

"That's not stereotypical at all. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar). Dragon hide? Next thing you know we'll be hearing about their school field trips to go visit the Loch Ness Monster. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings). Well that sounds nice. Sure is a lot of black, hopefully you get a little bit of color somewhere, you'll look as white as a sheet." He chuckled again and adjusted his glasses.

"Alright... now onto the good stuff. Course Books. _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ by Miranda Goshawk, _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot... Interesting books so far. _Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling, _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch. Transfiguration? You'll have to tell me all about that. _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore, oooh another one I want you to tell me about. _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger... goodness Natalie, I'm jealous, you get to learn so much cool stuff! _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander, and finally, _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble."

Her father paused over the last book title. _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection._ It had not escaped her mother's attention either and she looked at her husband worriedly. "Hmm," he said as his brow furrowed. "I don't know Natalie, we don't really like the idea that you could get hurt. You're our baby. They better look after you kiddo. I'll sue them in whatever court I have to go to, I don't care if Judge Tooth Fairy is presiding. If you so much as come home altered from the perfect condition in which I delivered you to them, I will sue them for everything they have." Her mother nodded emphatically and Natalie released her breath, not even realizing she was holding it. She didn't want them to tell her she couldn't go.

"On with the list... Other Equipment. Jeez this is a lot of stuff. One wand, One Cauldron (pewter, size 2). Cauldrons have sizes? One set of glass or crystal phials, we're gonna go with glass. Crystal is expensive. One telescope, good hopefully they'll have you doing some astronomy. Some _real_ science. One set of brass scales, Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad. Who the heck would want a toad and where on Earth would we find an owl that's been tamed to be a pet?" Natalie decided now was the time to mention the strange happenings of her letter delivery.

"Maybe you can get 'em at a wizard pet store. I know they probably have them. An owl delivered my letter. He sat right there on the mailbox and I got really close. Then he dropped the letter in my hands and flew away. He was really big and so pretty. He had feathers that looked like gold." She smiled and looked upward as she reminisced about seeing the bird, watching it fly away looking so majestic and beautiful. Her father watched her, smiling and nodding as she told her little story.

"Well sweetie, if you want an owl later we'll get you one, I'm sure they're the most expensive and we're already worried about the stuff you actually need like supplies, not to mention tuition. Things are a lot more expensive here than they are in America sweetheart. We want to make sure we have enough money for you to go. How about a nice kitty cat? We can get you one at the pet store down the street. They're good little pets, and they're fluffy and cute. You can't really cuddle an owl." Natalie was distracted from the thought of birds and was excited to go to the pet store and pick out the perfect kitten.

"Let's see what else we have here... Parents are reminded that First Years are not allowed their own broomsticks. Be sure to wear your pointy hat when you finally get your own broomstick, and send us a picture. That's sure to be a hoot. We'll go look for you a kitty tomorrow and then all we have to do is wait until the 31st. I'm sure now would be a good time to sell those books back to the store Moira. We have a lot of junk we don't really need lying around here anyhow, we should have ideally had a garage sale before moving, but now's just as good of a time as any. I hope the funds from that will be enough." Her father really had no reason to worry about money, he was a very successful doctor with a private practice and her mother was the Editor for the local newspaper, the highest paying job for journalists in the small village of Great Tree. He was incredibly frugal, having come from a poor family however, and old habits indeed died hard.

Natalie took her bath and got into her warm pajamas, snuggling under her blankets as her parents went to tuck her in that night. They kissed her forehead and smiled, watching their daughter drift off to sleep. No sooner than her eyes fully closed, she was fast asleep, dreaming of kittens and owls and spells and all the friends she would make at her new school for wizards.

_The End of Chapter 2! Please leave a review :)_


	3. Chapter 3: A Boy Named Alfred

_Disclaimer: I own no canon characters, spells, places, plotlines or creatures from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe. No copyright infringement intended, just using these amazing characters for my little fanfic joyness. Also I own no excerpts from Louisa May Alcott's wonderful book Little Women. I'm just using excerpts because it's Natalie's favorite. The only characters that are my own are Alfred Bellsley and Natalie Adler, I own all rights to them and will be using them exclusively in my own little stories. Thank you!_

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A Boy Named Alfred**_

He was sitting in the corner of the dimly lit living room, trying to read _Thus Spoke Zarathustra _in peace while his family sat in the dining room, laughing and making merry. Alfred's older, handsome, and athletic brother Lee had come home for the week, from Sweden where he played Quidditch, and he was obviously much more interesting now that'd he'd been away. Alfred sighed to himself and flipped the page, unable to concentrate on the words Nietzsche had written down. His parents loved him and were always complimenting his intelligence, praising him as though he were the smartest boy ever to have lived. But when Lee was home, he might as well have been invisible.

At the table, everyone was enjoying perhaps their third helping of dessert and coffee, all of them laughing and getting to know Lee's beautiful fiancee Greta. It had all gone relatively well between Lee and Alfred at the dinner table until Greta had said something terribly dim-witted and Alfred, without thinking, had corrected her. Now he was banished to the living room, but not after getting a good scolding in front of everyone by his mother. _Well it isn't my fault she claims to be so well travelled and got the capital of Austria wrong. Idiot. _He decided instead of trying to read over the chatter he would just pretend to read and eavesdrop. Greta was still talking about her travels, still being incredibly stupid.

"No no, dear," her voice was high pitched and squeaky, like a mouse and her giggle was unbearable. Alfred had heard Lee call it absolutely infectious. _Like a disease,_ he thought bitterly, straining to hear. "I don't know what they have been teaching you in these English schools, but the capital of New York is New York City." Alfred pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger, squeezing his eyes shut, trying not to yell "It's Albany you blonde twit!" He couldn't take much more of this. They were all _ooh_ing and_ ahh_ing and saying ridiculous things like "I never knew that before." _Stupid kills, but not enough to actually help, obviously._

He picked up his book, no longer wanting to listen, and walked outside to the front garden, sitting on the swingset from his childhood and grumbling to himself. He didn't understand what Greta's appeal was but then again, he couldn't understand why anyone would be attracted to his brother Lee either. He had nothing to offer conversation wise that wasn't about Quidditch, but he had been that way since he started playing in his third year at Hogwarts. It was always Quidditch this and Quidditch that. He was tall, dark haired and blue eyed and very muscular. Something Alfred supposed women prized, and something he knew he absolutely wasn't.

Alfred too was dark haired and blue eyed, like his brother and both his parents, but he was a small boy, barely standing five feet tall at the age of eleven, and he was extremely thin. He was the only person in his family to wear glasses as well, and they were big and thick and round. His pale thin face had a few freckles on the cheeks but there was nothing outstanding or remarkable about his appearance. He looked just like every other bespectacled nerdy boy. He couldn't wait to get out of the house and go to Hogwart's himself, eager to learn all the exciting new things. He had already bought all of his supplies and the next day would start reading through his school books to get an early jump on material that he might be tested on. He had heard all about it his entire life, his brother was a Gryffindor and was always getting himself into these wild adventures. Most younger siblings wanted to be sorted into their older siblings' House, to carry on some sort of legacy. Not Alfred. He wanted to be with others of his kind, the ones who liked to learn.

_I don't know what I'll do if I don't get sorted into Ravenclaw. I belong there._ His thoughts were interrupted by the loud, pitchy, squeaky giggles of his soon to be sister in law. _It's only a week. Only a week. And then they'll be gone, thank Merlin._ He opened his book again and continued to read, his dog raising up to stretch and walking off the porch, resting his head on Alfred's lap when he made it to the swingset. Alfred reached down with one hand to scratch the old canine behind the ears, thinking that he would have been a lot happier had he and Buster both taken their dinner outside that night instead of getting himself into trouble.

Hours of reading philosophy passed and he hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep with his head resting on the chain rope of the swing. Buster had laid down at his feet, closing his eyes and drifting off into doggy dreamland himself. Mrs. Bellsley looked out the window and smiled softly, grabbing her sweater coat off the hook and putting it on, tying the belt around her waist. She walked outside and picked her child up from the swing and cradling her baby in her arms, softly whistling for Buster to follow them inside. He awoke in his bed as his mother kissed his forehead and he yawned sleepily. "I'm sorry mum, for earlier." He rubbed his eyes and she sat down next to him, taking his hand.

"You need a little more patience Alfred, for those who are not as gifted with as much wit as you have. She isn't a genius by any stretch of the imagination, but she is very kind, and very good to your brother. She will make a good wife, and her and Lee are very much alike. He wasn't as smart as you are, but he is daring and charming, and he and Greta make a very good match. Some relationships, Alfred, are not about challenging one another. You'll see when you get a bit older and start becoming interested in girls. When you're in love, you accept the person as they are, flaws and all." She smiled and pat his hand as he gave a very huge yawn. Buster jumped to the foot of the bed, the old basset hound making a few circles before he laid down to rest for the night.

_That's the end of chapter 3! A bit shorter than the others, I'll try to make the rest of them good and lengthy. Please leave a review :)_


	4. Chapter 4: July 31st and Floo Powder

_Disclaimer: I own no canon characters, spells, places, plotlines or creatures from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe. No copyright infringement intended, just using these amazing characters for my little fanfic joyness. Also I own no excerpts from Louisa May Alcott's wonderful book Little Women. I'm just using excerpts because it's Natalie's favorite. The only characters that are my own are Alfred Bellsley and Natalie Adler, I own all rights to them and will be using them exclusively in my own little stories. Thank you!_

_**Chapter Four**_

_**July 31st and the Floo Powder**_

Natalie was so anxious, awaiting the representative from Hogwarts, as her new kitten, a white ball of fluff with green eyes named Barnaby, slept on her lap. She was making a list of what to pack for her semester at school as her mother continued making dozens and dozens of hors d'oeurves for their guest. Her father, upon orders from his wife, was dusting the living room, intent on making the house presentable. It was already half past three and Natalie worried that they might have changed their minds about her coming. All the shops she knew closed at six at the latest. Maybe wizard shops stayed open later, she didn't know. She continued to mull over her list when suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Honey, could you get that?" Moira called from the kitchen, still garnishing cheesecake cups with cherry glaze. He nodded and all three of them took a deep breath as he walked to the door and threw it open.

The woman standing there had flyaway gray hair pulled up into a bun and her clothes, all earth toned, were patched up quite a bit. Hanging out of her skirt pocket was a pair of gardening gloves and a trowel, she obviously liked to work with plants. She had a very friendly round face, as she stood there smiling, reaching forward to shake Mr. Adler's hand, Natalie hid behind her mother and smiled back though the woman couldn't see it. She looked like a grandmother. "You must be the Adler family, I'm Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House and Herbology Instructor at Hogwarts." John shook her hand and showed her inside, taking her coat and hanging it in the hallway closet.

"It's very nice to have you visit our home, Ms. Sprout. I'm Dr. John Adler, Natalie's father. This beautiful lady over here is my wife Moira, she's the local newspaper editor. And our daughter is..." He looked around and puzzled. Natalie had hidden herself in a lower kitchen cabinet, not wanting to be seen by the stranger in their home. She had always been so very shy around new people. "Nowhere to be seen. You'll get to see her eventually, Nattie's a bit skittish. Please Ms. Sprout take a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have...coffee, tea, white wine, and red wine... I also think we have some apricot brandy around. We also have hors d'oeurves if you're interested." He lead her to the couch and took a seat in his overstuffed armchair, his wife laying out the snacks on the coffee table, flitting back and forth between the kitchen quickly.

"I'll take a hot cup of Jasmine tea if you've got it. And the pastries look delightful Mrs. Adler. I'm afraid we haven't got too terribly long though, the stores on Diagon Alley close at seven, and we want to have plenty of time to get your account at Gringott's all set up so you can convert pounds to galleons. Muggle money's no good where we're headed Doctor." She took the steaming cup of sweet smelling tea from Moira's hands and for the first time all day, Mrs. Adler took a seat in her cozy seat next to her husband. He sat there, nodding as Ms. Sprout explained Diagon Alley and wizard money.

"I'm glad the conversation has turned to finances Ms. Sprout because I have a few questions. Listen, we want Natalie to go, very very badly. We think she needs to be with other kids like her and she's never had that before, it'd do her some good to make some friends. We know Hogwarts will be a great place for her but... can we afford it? How much is all this going to cost? I was looking at the school supply list, and pardon me for being so frank, Ms. Sprout, but that's a lot of stuff." Professor Sprout only nodded here and there as he spoke, sipping her tea and figuring numbers in her head. Natalie snuck out of the little cupboard and went to sit on the sofa nearest her mother's chair. Professor Sprout smiled and nodded her head toward the young girl.

"Well sir, this may put your mind at ease a bit. The only thing you'll have to pay for is her yearly supplies and books can be sold back at the end of the year, though we highly encourage our students to keep them. Headmaster Dumbledore, in all his years at the school, has never had an American student before, in fact, American Wizards are somewhat of a strange bird to us. We never knew there were any outside Salem and all of them go to the Salem Witches' Institute. He has agreed to waive her tuition if she agrees to come." Natalie's eyes lit up and her father looked incredibly pleased. Her mother clapped her tiny hands in excitement and smiled.

"Well in that case, I think that's very doable, what do you say Natalie?" She suddenly became very uncomfortable as three pairs of eyes wandered to her face. She looked down at her shoes, fiddling with the bottom hem on her pink sweater, not knowing exactly what to say. She didn't want to seem too eager, but of course she wanted to go.

"I'd love to," she said quietly, nodding her head to convey what she wanted to say. Professor Sprout smiled and arose from her seat, setting down the empty teacup before smoothing her skirt with her hands that had all sorts of little nicks and cuts on them. Natalie exampined them and wondered if those were from the tools or the plants. Wizard plants might bite.

"Well, on our way to Diagon Alley then, we better get a move on, it's already four and the bank closes at five. After we get your account set up and get your money exchanged, and by the way Dr. Adler, I'd bring a hefty sum, we can go school supply shopping and get your little beansprout here all set up for the coming year. We'll have to get there by way of Floo Powder since London is quite far away, put that fire out." Natalie's parents looked at one another, at first confused, before they shrugged and put the fire out, removing the logs and doing their best to clean it in a hurry. Professor Sprout pulled a small leather pouch out of her pocket, pulling the drawstring open. Natalie cautiously crept next to the Herbology teacher and peered into the bag, curious about the strange dull green dust known as Floo Powder.

"Alright," Professor Sprout was using her teacher voice now, looking at the Adler family as though she were giving them an Herbology lesson. "You're going to stand in the fireplace, take a good handful of Floo Powder and Say 'Diagon Alley' as you throw it down, by the way, you want to throw it down hard. Also, you want to speak loudly and clearly, so there's no confusion. You end up in strange places that way. Doctor Adler, you go first."

Her father nodded, curious about how this would work. He'd never heard of this method of travel before, and he was intensely intrigued. He grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder and stood in the fireplace, sighing heavily as he raised a brow at the squatty witch in his living room. She nodded and he threw the dust down, screaming "Diagon Alley!" A green fire rose from the dust and Natalie yelped, certain that her father was going to burn to death if he stood in there. The fire settled and there was nothing there but ash, all smelling sweetly of the stuff that had burned up upon impact. John had disappeared right on the spot. Natalie's brilliant green eyes widened as her mouth hung open. She just couldn't believe it.

"Right-o Mrs. Adler, your turn love. Remember, loudly and clearly!" Ms. Sprout's voice boomed around the living room as though she were speaking to about fifty people at once. Moira nodded and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, gulping as she shivered nervously, taking the spot where her husband had just been. "Diagon Alley!" she cried, another great fire roared to life and in a flash, her mother too was gone. Natalie was curious, but afraid. How could her mother and father have travelled all the way to London from their fireplace? It was just her and Professor Sprout left.

"Come on Natalie," the woman who was to be her teacher soon smiled encouragingly as the young girl timidly pulled her share of dust from the leather pouch, even more visibly nervous than her mother had been. She felt her knees shake as she stood in the fire place. "I know you'll have a hard time yelling out. I'll turn my back and you want to speak clearly now, can't have you turning up Merlin knows where." The old woman turned around and Natalie bit her lip. "Diagon Alley!" She yelped quickly, throwing down the powder. The fire didn't burn her skin a bit and Natalie gasped in surprise.

She stepped out of the fireplace into a dark little room, a sign above the bar proclaimed it to be The Leaky Cauldron. People were dressed so strangely, in long cloaks and robes of every sort of color. Her mother and father were nearby, looking at everyone and smiling in wonder at everything they saw. There was a roar in the fireplace and Natalie spun around as Professor Sprout stepped out, brushing the soot off her dress as though what she had done were no big deal. "Alright, Adlers," she said quietly, not wanting to draw attention to the muggle family who were peering around, waiting for hobgoblins to pop out of nooks and crannies. "Follow me, right this way." She took charge at the head of the line and they all followed suit like a row of ducklings, Natalie holding her mother's hand as she brought up the rear.

Behind the building where they exited there was a large brick wall. The elder witch pulled out a beautiful stick covered in leaves, a wand, Natalie guessed, and tapped bricks in a very specific order. Natalie clung closely to her mother and she watched in amazement. It was like a complex lock and the witch's wand was the key. The bricks started floating, rearranging themselves, before they turned into a beautiful archway that lead into a bustling street. This was it. This was Diagon Alley.

_The end of chapter 4! Please leave a nice review if you liked it :)_


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